Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to make your community a better place to live, work, and play by transforming underutilized public spaces into vibrant community places. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspirations and potential that contribute to people’s health, happiness, safety and well-being. As a place becomes more desirable and welcoming, people will want to spend more time in them. Because of this, Placemaking can increase both the sales tax and property tax base within a community.

Turning a weedy parking lot into putt-putt golf course. Attracting people to a little-used park to gather, play or listen to music. Brightening up an otherwise drab vacant lot. Envisioning how a block can be revitalized. This is Placemaking.

The Business Council and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture are offering grants up to $1,450 to purchase, install and educate the public about farm walls. A 25 percent cash match is required.

Vertical farm walls are an awesome placemaking tool that encourages people to stop to snack, snap photos and learn about specialty crops in Wyoming. Not sure what placemaking is? Be sure to take our training before you apply for a Farm Wall grant.

Education is a key component of this program. You will be required to actively engage your community through events, press releases or classes. Keep us in the loop so we can help you promote your activities!

The Department of Agriculture and the Business Council will monitor your project for up to five years, so you'll have to maintain and retain accurate records on the completed project. We ask that you cite both agencies as financial supporters of the project and include our logos on any marketing materials or presentations.

If fresh food and piece of living art sounds like something you need in your town, apply here.

Regional Placemaking trainings will be provided during the Spring of 2018. Completion of the Power of 10 exercise and site visits will be made following the regional training. Keep checking back for more information.

Project for Public Spaces (PPS)is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs. Wyoming received a grant from the National Main Street Center to bring this important concept to Wyoming.Wyoming received a grant from the National Main Street Center to bring this important concept to Wyoming.

Place-Based Projects. Through arts engagement, cultural planning, design, and/or artist/creative industry support, these projects contribute to improved quality of life in local communities. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount.

National Association of Realtors– NAR’s Placemaking Program, which includes a Placemaking guide, a series of webinars, a blog and a grant, encourages REALTOR® associations, and their REALTOR® members, to engage in Placemaking in their communities. Many Placemaking activities, often referred to as Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper, are small, inexpensive, and incremental community projects. They do not need to cost a lot of money to get off the ground. Nor do they need to take a lot of time to plan and complete. But, these smaller types of Placemaking activities can often help to improve a neighborhood and make it a better place to live, work and play.

NAR’s Placemaking Grant is available to REALTOR® associations to help them create new public spaces and destinations in their communities. The Grant has two levels. Level 1, up to $1,500, for demonstration projects and Level 2, up to $5,000 to build parks/pocket parks, trails/paths, dog parks, play/fitness areas, community gardens and alley activations.

Placemaking is all about being in the moment, in a space. This video is a great story about pop-ups, temporary events and retail that bring life to spaces and experiences. It is connecting with people and an experience - making memories that are Instagrammable.